Diarrhea can be a sign of acute or chronic illnesses that are usually very treatable. At Newtown Gastroenterology, with New York City offices in Elmhurst and Flushing in Queens, Sunset Park in Brooklyn, and Chinatown in Manhattan, the team of elite board-certified gastroenterologists gets to the bottom of your issues using a comprehensive stool analysis. Then, you’ll get the treatment you need to feel better and function normally again. Book your appointment online or call the nearest office for help now.
Short-term diarrhea that lasts only a few days usually occurs alongside other symptoms. For example, the stomach flu often causes diarrhea, cough, body aches, and sore throat. Fortunately, the flu and other short-term illnesses usually resolve fairly fast. However, if your diarrhea lasts for weeks rather than days, it’s considered persistent or chronic and requires medical attention. The Newtown Gastroenterology team can diagnose the cause of your diarrhea and provide prompt treatment.
Newtown Gastroenterology performs a comprehensive stool analysis to get to the root of your problems. Some of the specific causes of diarrhea include:
• Viruses
• Bacterial infections
• Food poisoning
• Parasites ingested through food or water
• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
• Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO)
• Pancreatitis
• Celiac disease
• Crohn’s disease
• Ulcerative colitis
• Malabsorption of carbohydrates like lactose, fructose, and sorbitol
• Medications, like some antibiotics
• Intestinal or gallbladder surgery
A stool analysis can identify the type of diarrhea (fatty, inflammatory, or watery) and find its specific source. Depending on your stool test results and symptoms, the Newtown Gastroenterology team might also recommend other tests to further pinpoint your diagnosis. Some common tests include breath testing and blood testing, and standard procedures include capsule endoscopy, colonoscopy, and flexible sigmoidoscopy. All procedures are office-based, so you don’t have to stay in the hospital.
Newtown Gastroenterology treats your diarrhea based on its root cause. Some of the many different approaches include:
• Frequent hydration (water, salts, and electrolytes)
• Diet and nutrition changes
• Antimotility medication, such as loperamide, to slow digestion and firm up stools
• Antibiotics for infections
• Anti-parasitic drugs for parasites
• Adjustments to your current medication (for example, antibiotics)
• Disease-specific medicines for chronic conditions
Diarrhea generally responds to treatment fairly quickly. Sticking to your treatment plan and following it through to completion is essential to prevent your diarrhea from returning. The Newtown Gastroenterology team is here to help if that happens, so reach out for help anytime if you have a new bout of diarrhea. Diarrhea is highly treatable if you know what caused it, and Newtown Gastroenterology provides both diagnosis and treatment. Call the office nearest you or click the online appointment maker to get help with diarrhea now.
